A Quieter Title Fight for the Four-Time Champion
For the first time in years, Max Verstappen finds himself well outside the lead group of the Formula 1 championship. The Red Bull driver sits sixth in the 2026 standings with 145 points, a distant 147 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli.
Where Things Stand
- Sixth in the drivers’ championship with 145 points
- 147-point deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli
- Fifth podium of the season came at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing third at Monza
- Currently the highest-placed non-Mercedes, non-Ferrari, non-McLaren driver
A Strong Monza Recovery
Verstappen’s best recent result came at Monza, where he ran a similar strategy to race winner Antonelli and held off the battling McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to secure third place, his fifth podium of 2026. It offered a reminder of his pace even in a season where Red Bull hasn’t consistently matched the top three teams.
A Season Shaped by Team Changes
Verstappen’s year has also been shaped by circumstances beyond his own results, with team-mate Isack Hadjar missing time through injury and Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson stepping in as cover on multiple occasions, a story detailed further in our Verstappen contract update.
Where He Sits Among the Contenders
With the full 2026 standings showing a clear top-five gap back to Red Bull, Verstappen’s realistic ambitions for the rest of the season likely centre on maximising individual results and podium finishes rather than a title challenge.
Conclusion
A sixth-place standing is unfamiliar territory for a four-time world champion, but Verstappen’s Monza podium showed the raw pace remains there. Whether Red Bull can close the gap to the front three over the season’s final nine rounds remains the bigger question.